That’s the pressing question of the day. Subway is challenging mega-fans to change their name to ‘Subway’ in return for free subs for life. It’s not the first time the world’s largest fast food chain has puled such a stunt…
Deli Heroes from Subway
The last time Subway called out their most ardent followers to prove their commitmen to the brand, they offered a chance for one customer to earn subs for life by getting a life-sized tattoo of a Subway footlong. This time, they’re challenging fans to legally change their given names to ‘Subway’ in return for a lifetime supply of the brand’s new Deli Hero Sandwiches.
The Deli Heros menu is the latest in a series of moves by Subway to update its image and organize its ordering system.
Who would do such a thing?
Seems there are lots of folks out there who love Subway sammys enough to answer the challenge. After all, there was that guy who got the tattoo…
A little history
Anyway, I remember a few years back, a company offered to pay motorists to have their vehicles festooned with the logos of major commercial brands. Literally, rolling billboards. You don’t see many such cars anymore. Nor has the company surfaced in the news recently. RIP, one potentially great advertising idea?
I see this Subway gambit as a one-off. No other brand could do it; they would just be copying someone else’s big idea. And that’s lame, at best. And I don’t know how much promotional oompf the stunt will get the brand, or how long the glitz will last. Not much, I suspect, in the medium to long term.
Be that as it may…
Fans can register through August 4, at SubwayNameChange.com for a random draw to determine who the winner will be. The chosen one will then have to follow through and legally change their name to ‘Subway’.
“Subway will select one lucky winner to earn free sandwiches and assume an iconic new identity,” Subway said in a release. “Subway will provide the winner with money to reimburse them for legal and processing costs for the name change, making it easy and effortless to become Subway and enjoy a lifetime of delicious subs.”
The fine print
There are a couple of interesting twists in the Official Contest Rules that caught the eyes of a few veterans of the genre.
First, there is no provision in the rules stopping the winner from changing their name back to their original mom-given monicker when the contest hubbub all dies down.
Second, a lifetime of subs is actually defined as $50,000 in gift cards. That translates to about 3,333 footlongs. If the winner was to consume three per week, the gift cards would last them 1,111 weeks. That’s a little over 21 years of free subs. Not quite a lifetime, unless you’re already nearing retirement age.
So…
Changing your name to get free subs from Subway isn’t really the monumental commitment it first appeared to be. But given today’s soaring food prices, and little or no relief in sight, I can see how free subs would be attractive to just about anyone. Not to mention that Subway subs are among the healthiest fast food menu items around.
Maggie J.